T uES DAy : m A RcH 1, 2016
SHOWBITZ
ISAH V. RED EDITOR
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Bryan craston plays Dalton Trumbo in the bio film
A scene from the American bio drama Trumbo directed by Jay Roach and written by John mcNamara
UsIng wORDs TO ExpOsE absURDITy anD InjUsTIcE
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creenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s acclaimed career comes to a crushing halt in the late 1940s when he and other Hollywood figures are blacklisted for their political beliefs. Trumbo recounts how Dalton used words and wit to win two Academy Awards and expose the absurdity and injustice under the blacklist, which entangled everyone from gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) to John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger. In the 1940s, Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) is one of the highest paid screenwriters in the world, penning movie classics including the Oscar-nominated Kitty Foyle and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. A fixture on the Hollywood social scene, and a political activist supporting labor unions, equal pay and civil rights, Trumbo and his colleagues are subpoenaed to testify in front of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC) as part of its sweeping probe into communist activity in the U.S. Trumbo’s refusal to answer the congressmen’s questions lands him in a federal prison and earns him the eternal enmity of powerful anti-communist gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. For the next 13 years, all of the major Hollywood studios refuse
to hire Trumbo for fear of being associated with his perceived radical political views. Forced to sell his home and ostracized by friends, colleagues and neighbors, Trumbo struggles to feed his family by writing mostly low-budget movies under assumed names. But he never gives up fighting for what he believes in. Ultimately, Trumbo prevails when star Kirk Douglas and director Otto Preminger each put the screenwriter’s real name on screen in their respective 1960 blockbusters, Spartacus and Exodus, effectively bringing the blacklist era to an end. An ast on i s h i n g portrait of an often forgotten c h ap t e r of American hist o r y , Tr u m b o is direct-
ed by Jay Roach (Game Change, Meet the Parents) from a script by John McNamara (Aquarius, Prime Suspect), based on the book Dalton Trumbo by Bruce Cook. T Dalton Trumbo was a boisterous raconteur, a man who knew he commanded attention in every room he entered and enjoyed doing so. High-living and highminded, he was a bundle of fascinating contradictions that the filmmakers were anxious to portray accurately on screen. “Dalton Trumbo is a very complex character,” says producer Janice Williams. “Extremely wealthy, living the Hollywood dream … and a communist. We had all been watching Bryan Cranston evolve as Walter White in Breaking Bad, and we felt there was something in his performance that was the epitome of what we needed. Bryan is able to play contradictory characters with ease. He has deep layers of sadness and righ-
Diane Lane as Dalton Trumbo’s wife cleo
teousness. He brought everything that was needed to the role.” The actor’s breakout role in the long-running AMC series was not the only reason Roach wanted him to play Trumbo. “Whether it’s Breaking Bad or his Tonywinning turn as Lyndon Johnson (in Broadway’s All the Way) or even as the dad in Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston demonstrates an intensity that works for Dalton Trumbo,” says Roach. “He captures Trumbo’s fire, intelligence and self-righteousness and manages to be as charming, entertaining and funny as the real man was.” Producer Michael London says he sees strong parallels between the actor and his subject. “I think the character is Bryan in some really fundamental way. Bryan can be cantankerous, strong-minded and obsessive, as well as passionate about what he believes. Those are all the things that Dalton Trumbo was. Because of the mesh between actor and character, he brought an unfathomable love and appreciation of what Trumbo represented.” Cranston’s whole-hearted embrace of the role made the character even more fascinating, in Roach’s opinion. “Bryan is amazing,” the director continues. “He found a
way of capturing the performer in Trumbo while also keeping him real. It was an interesting choice and it distinguishes this performance from others in his body of work. Bryan’s own strength and his creative instincts made it even more complex than I’d imagined.” Cranston says he considers three essential elements when he considers a role. “The first thing is the story itself. Am I moved by it? Will I leave the theater with some sense of improvement in my life? Even if it simply made me forget my troubles for two hours, that’s a valuable two hours. The second thing is the text. Even the most phenomenal story needs to be told well. And then there’s the character. And there’s no question that this had all three of those things.” The film stars Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Argo), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, Suicide Squad), Louis C.K. (Louie, American Hustle), David James Elliott (JAG, The Stranger I Married), Elle Fanning (Maleficent, We Bought a Zoo), John Goodman (The Gambler, Argo), Diane Lane (Man of Steel, Unfaithful), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Blue Jasmine), Alan Tudyk (42, Frozen), and Helen Mirren (The Queen, Woman in Gold).
cNN ‘SyDNEy IN 24 HouRS’
The journey to Sydney can be long for many global travelers but the city sure knows how to make it worth it. Next month on CNN’s In 24 Hours, host James Williams is back in his home country to soak up the sunshine in a city that is uniquely laid back and luxurious all at the same time. From sunrise to sunset and into the night, CNN takes viewers along to the experiences only a privileged few will ever encounter. For the perfect morning, Williams sets sail with the winner of the 2015 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Paul Clitheroe
and crew while taking in a perfect Sydney sunrise on the harbor. From boat to car, Williams takes a ride in a 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera driving this cult classic through some of Sydney’s most beautiful locations. It’s then on to the Symbio Wildlife Park where Williams meets Imogen, the koala who became an international sensation last year when she was born. In the afternoon, Williams hits the beach to meet Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes. With a fortune estimated in the millions, Hemmes has played a major
role in shaping Sydney’s social scene. Williams learns both the business and creative process behind one of Hemmes’ latest establishments, Coogee Pavilion. Then what could be more Australian than surfing? Six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore gives James a one-on-one surf lesson at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. In the evening, Williams visits Sydney’s ultimate icon, the Opera House. Here, he goes beyond any chef ’s table and steps into the kitchen with famed Chef Peter Gilmore at his new
James Williams cuddles up Imogen the koala
restaurant Bennelong. Williams rounds up ‘Sydney in 24 Hours’ with a special customized behind-the-scenes tour of the Opera House. In 24 Hours airs on CNN International at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow.
Surfer Stephanie Gilmore (third from left) in “Sydney In 24 Hours”